PRESS RELEASE: AUGUST 04, 2010

Information for RCSS Members on: Deal of the Week

Over the past few months Real Canadian Superstore has implemented the Deal of the Week in all of its stores.

This program requires that cashiers ask each customer if they would like to purchase the deal of the week. If a customer has not been asked then they may receive the item for free. When a customer is given the item for free, the transaction is tracked electronically and the employer can see how many items are been given out for free by each cashier.

The Union has received numerous complaints from our members regarding the Deal of the Week program and more recently it has been brought to the union's attention that a web site, initiated or started by some members has been formed asking members and others to sign a petition against the Deal of the Week.

The Union is well aware that many of our members do not like the Deal of the Week program however you must be made aware of what your obligations are as an employee.

The employer has the right to implement their Deal of the Week program and other promotional type programs and to issue directives to its employees regarding these programs.

The employer with sufficient warning and instructions to its employees, specifically the cashiers, are well within their rights to issue discipline to employees who fail to follow the employer's policy and procedure regarding the deal of the week.

Asking each customer if they want to purchase the deal of the week is within the employers rights and is similar in nature to being required to ask a customer if they want any plastic bags or if they will be using their PC Mastercard to pay for the order and so forth.

There is nothing in the contract that prohibits this, it is not unconstitutional nor is this program discriminatory and would be considered to be part of the cashier job function within the discretion of the employer.

Here is what the union's legal counsel says regarding this matter:

Employees who are given a directive as part of their job are required to carry it out.

All members of UFCW should also be aware of and should refrain from posting comments on websites such as Face Book, Twitter and ought to be very careful in registering their complaints in a public forum such as a web site or social networking website. This might be viewed as insubordination if viewed by the employer and the person who posted the comments would likely be subject to discipline and possibly termination depending on the nature of the comments posted.

Finally, please do not take direction or a position with your employer based on what you may read from a social type networking website. The persons who post information on these types of web sites have no real grasp of your collective agreement or the applicable legal expertise to be advising you of anything to do with your workplace. Please contact your union and your representative for advice regarding workplace issues.